University of South Alabama Press Release

University of South Alabama, Office of Public Relations

October 31, 2007
Contact: Joy Crawford-Washington , USA Public Relations, (251) 470-6211

Mount Vernon Native Crowned Miss University of South Alabama 2008

Miss USA 2008 Jessica Juanita McCray

Jessica Juanita McCray, 19, of Mount Vernon, Ala., is the winner of the “Look at Me Now” 25th Annual 2008 Miss University of South Alabama Pageant, earning a $1,500 scholarship. McCray, a sophomore pre-professional major, also won a $100 talent award. She was crowned by Miss USA 2007 Morgan Ellis. McCray is the daughter of Lloyd and Edith Witherspoon.

McCray will begin preparing to compete in the Miss Alabama Pageant to be held in June 2008 in Birmingham. This is a preliminary program of the Miss America Pageant.

The fourth runner-up is Amy Robertson of Mobile, a junior theatre major, who earned a $450 scholarship; third runner-up is freshman Hannah Etheridge of Thomasville, Ala., a physical therapy major who earned a $550 scholarship; second runner-up is Chelsea Dean of Spartanburg, S.C., a junior majoring in Spanish and international studies, earned a $650 scholarship; and the first runner-up is Holly Peek from Niceville, Fla., a senior communication and pre-medicine major, who earned a $750 scholarship.

Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity is the major sponsor of the Miss USA Pageant. Funds raised from the event will support the chapter’s philanthropy, which aids in supporting the severely handicapped. Other Miss USA sponsors are Coca-Cola Bottling Company, Charter Services, Inc., USA Student Government Association and the University of South Alabama.

To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the pageant, biographies were read on each former winner, and those attending were introduced during the program.

Jessica Juanita McCray Miss USA 2008 celebrates with other scholarship pageant runner-ups. From left are Hannah Etheridge, third runner-up and native of Thomasville, Ala.; Holly Peek, first runner-up from Niceville, Fla.; McCray from Mount Vernon, Ala.; Chelsea Dean, second runner-up from Spartanburg, S.C.; and Amy Robertson, fourth-runner-up from Mobile.

Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity members with Miss USA 2008

Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity members along with Associate Vice President for Enrollment Services Dr. J. David Stearns, director of the Miss USA Pageant, congratulate Jessica Juanita McCray Miss USA 2008.